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Lyon County teaches wrong lesson on free speech: Leist

Garry Leist
Published 11:27 a.m. PT Jan. 23, 2018

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An Indiana schoolteacher is in hot water for sending a letter home asking parents to tell their children not to talk about God, Jesus or the devil in her classroom. Her actions set off a discussion on free speech.
Dwight Adams/IndyStar

A standing-room only crowd gathered at the December Lyon County School Board meeting.(Photo: Amy Alonzo/Fernley Leader-Courier)

The Lyon County School District recently taught its students a disturbing lesson. For years, non-profit organizations could communicate to local parents about local events in which they may want their students participating. Information was sent home from groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs and advertisements for sporting leagues and community events.

Our church, Cavalry Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, included information about our USDA-approved summer food program and other fliers with information about events at our church. Parents often thanked us for sending these fliers, which helped them make informed decision about opportunities for their children.

However, in response to a complaint, LCSD began to censor religious points of view. When we asked our attorney to point out that this was unlawful, LCSD decided to permanently end this popular flier distribution practice rather than let us exercise our First Amendment rights.

Clearly, LCSD is operating from a position of fear. This fear leads to the belief that by restricting the rights of some, you can protect the rights of all. Nothing could be further from the truth.

LCSD is required by the First Amendment to be neutral toward speech; unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that it is their obligation to force someone else’s speech (our fliers, for example) to be neutral. Censoring religious points of view — including something as benign as a “Harvest Festival” flier — violates the Constitution.

If the LCSD may censor a flier from our church with the words “good news” printed on them, may it also censor a student talking about that “good news” in the hallway? When the LCSD censors our “Harvest Festival” flier because three crosses appear in the background, it tells the entire community that it is wrong for religion to appear in public.

The unfounded fear of LCSD is driven by the voices of a few. Our elected leaders should resist being intimidated by this misinformed group. Benjamin Franklin once said, “They who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Nevadans must never believe safety is found by giving in to those who would shut down speech, rather than follow the laws protecting speech.

One of the greatest founding principles of our country is that the government may not censor a citizen’s point of view. A government holding the power to censor speech holds the power to silence disagreement. The promise of the First Amendment gives each of us the right and responsibility to freely think and express our points of view.

Nowhere is this more cherished than in our schools. It is in our schools that students are exposed to beliefs, theories and opinions from many sides — even some they may not agree with. This is more than academic. It is in this exchange of beliefs and opinions that students learn to be good and responsible citizens.

Students become better citizens when they see their teachers, administrators and school board members embrace the ideas of freedom and liberty. When those authority figures silence free speech, our students learn more about intolerance than freedom, and more about inequality than diversity of belief.

We are committed to partnering with this school district, but that is impossible if the school board won’t be good partners. I am asking that you would join in supporting and encouraging the board to choose instead to take full advantage of the laws protecting all of our First Amendment rights. Please join me in being the community partner that LCSD needs.

Tell the LCSD School Board — by letter along with your voice at its next meeting — that you oppose the ending of the LCSD flier distribution program.